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I saw Eka for the first time in October
this year. He looked at me and said in a loud voice: “Hello
Madam, how are you today?” and stretched out his hand. This
was extraordinary. I sat down and looked at a small little
boy whose left side from eye to foot was lame. Eka is 14
years old and looks like 10. His head is covered with rash.
He doesn’t smell very nice. Probably it is the ointment he
has to put on the uncountable through fungus inflamed parts
of his whole body. He is coughing and has a running nose.
Anyway he seems to feel good.
He tells me that his favourite film is
Lion King part II, because Simba is often dreaming about his
father. Like he. Often at night his father who died three
years ago visits him and talks with him. Eka asks him then:
“Where are you?” and he answers “I’m in heaven. Don’t be sad
son. Soon I’m coming and take you with me.” Is he also
dreaming about his mum, I’m asking him. “No, she never
visits me.” He tells me that she died six years ago shortly
after he had this attack, as he fell down and couldn’t get
up anymore. His mum shouted at him, beat him and said “stand
up”, but he couldn’t get up.
Before he came to Kasisi three months
ago, he stayed with his granddad and grandma. Eight of his
siblings are living with other relatives. There are not many
contacts, but soon they’ll visit him, Eka says. After the
epileptic attacks worsened his grandparents looked for a
place where he could be cared for. So he came to Kasisi,
first into the House of Hope, where mainly HIV positive
babies are staying, but also new arrived difficult cases. A
nurse is always around.
Eka has full blown Aids and thanks to a
program from UTH (University Teaching Hospital) Kasisi can
provide ARV treatment for him. Therefore he is able to go to
school, in spite of the many diseases that are accompanying
his life. He is in grade 5. He has worse and better days
like all of us.
I ask him “what do you want to do when
you are grown up?” And he tells me he wants to adopt three
children from the House of Hope and built up a family and he
wants to become a doctor “or no I want to work with an
insurance company like my father did”. He always talks a lot
when he chatters about others, but if I ask him about
himself he starts speaking fast and in a language nobody can
understand.
He likes most to play with a silver
coloured Formula One racing car. Unfortunately its axe is
broken. One of the other kids must have been careless. “When
I’m older I want to ride a motorbike. I like boy’s toys”,
Eka tells me. |
